Updated November 10, 2026 - 12.43am . First published November 9, 2026 - 9.27pm
David Warner and Usman Khawaja sailed off into the sunset in consecutive home summers – but their impact on the Australian team hasn’t ended with their retirements.
The former Test openers and long-time friends have thrown a grenade straight into the middle of the current dressing room, and it could have a disastrous impact on the Aussies ahead of a jam-packed nine-month schedule.
David Warner and Usman Khawaja in 2024. Getty
Khawaja dropped the first bombshell on Saturday, claiming the entire team knew about the 2018 ball-tampering scandal and plans to use sandpaper .
Warner then backed those version of events in a strongly-worded social media video on Monday night, where he called out the “lies” that had been told.
“Tell the truth, because lies will eventually get out,” Warner said when recounting a conversation he had with his daughters.
The lies that Warner is referencing could have been told by any number of people, from ex-teammates to coaching staff to Cricket Australia officials.
It doesn’t take a genius to figure out at least four men Warner is taking aim at.
The bowling cartel of Pat Cummins , Mitchell Starc , Josh Hazlewood and Nathan Lyon put out a joint statement five years ago, where they denied having any knowledge of the 2018 sandpaper ploy.
Khawaja said he was “pissed off” by that statement and that Warner was too.
Interestingly, of the 11 players who took the field for that infamous Cape Town fixture, Steve Smith is the only other member still in the Test side.
You now have to ask if he feels similarly to Warner and Khawaja, especially considering the 12-month suspension he copped for the incident.
If he does hold a similar viewpoint and decides to go public with those feelings before the summer kicks off, it threatens to split the Aussie camp.
It comes weeks after rumblings that Cummins and other players were at odds with Smith over his neck injury before the third Test against South Africa.
Nic Maddinson , who featured in the recent tour against the Proteas, has already taken a swipe at Khawaja and the timing of his comments.
“It’s obviously disappointing that it keeps coming up ... it’s that time of year when Christmas comes along and people have books to sell,” Maddinson said.
“I think the three guys who’ve been affected the most, it doesn’t really help them at all to relive it. To just pop up at the start of the summer going into a pretty big six months for the team is obviously disappointing for those guys.”
Australia’s Sandpaper scandal has continued. Getty
Bancroft took the high road when stopped by media at the airport on Monday and offered no comment about Khawaja’s public bombshell.
Mitchell Marsh , who was part of the Cape Town side, is scheduled to face media on Thursday, with the ball-tampering saga a likely topic of discussion.
It feels like the sooner CA officials and Cummins get on the front-foot the better because the longer this ugly saga drags on without true clarity and answers, the worse it will be for the next nine months of Test cricket.
Not only will the Aussies host New Zealand in a four-game series at home, they will then travel to India for a five-game series before the Ashes in mid-2027.
and sailed off into the sunset in consecutive home summers – but their impact on the Australian team hasn’t ended with their retirements.
Khawaja dropped the first bombshell on Saturday, .
on Monday night, where he called out the “lies” that had been told.
The bowling cartel of , , and put out a joint statement five years ago, where they denied having any knowledge of the 2018 sandpaper ploy.
Interestingly, of the 11 players who took the field for that infamous Cape Town fixture, is the only other member still in the Test side.
, who featured in the recent tour against the Proteas, has already taken a swipe at Khawaja and the timing of his comments.
, who was part of the Cape Town side, is scheduled to face media on Thursday, with the ball-tampering saga a likely topic of discussion.
Not only will the Aussies host New Zealand in a four-game series at home, they will then travel to India for a five-game series before the in mid-2027.
Loading comments…